In the push for a community college, Erie County keeps pointing out that it would be: the first new stand-alone community college in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since 1993. There might be a good reason for that. What are some changes since 1993 that might affect how education is delivered? Amazon began selling books online […]
What Exactly is an Erie County Community College Supposed to Be?
Ready, Fire, Aim. Do you remember the GEIDC? The Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation was given an unsecured loan for $3 million dollars by Erie County because county council and the county executive were convinced, we needed a big rail terminal. It turns out we needed no such thing and the money was lost when […]
Questions Arise About Renewed Push for Erie County Community College
You may be wondering why the idea of an Erie County Community College popped up recently, seemingly out of nowhere. You’re not alone. It’s the same proposal that was floated and rejected in 2010 because it was an unnecessary duplication of educational resources already available as well as running the risk of locking taxpayers into […]
Why Does Erie County Want to Run the EMTA Buses?
For the many of us who reside in Erie County, the very public battle between the City of Erie and Erie County Council over who will be in charge of the EMTA is a little puzzling. News stories on local TV stations and in the local paper say absolutely nothing about why they’re fighting in […]
Erie County Government is Not Erie Regional Government
Have you noticed the trendy buzzword attached to every discussion in local government and the media these days? It’s “region.” Right now County Council, NOT Regional Council, is butting heads with Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott over the EMTA, trying to create a new regional transit authority, saying they’ll take over, pay the bill and appoint […]
How Far Does the New Erie Regional Transit Authority Extend?
The word “regional” is being applied to so many things county government talks about now that it’s worth asking exactly what they mean when they say it. The highly touted Emerge 2040 plan, which labels itself “A Regional Vision,” has this statement in the introductory pages: The plan emphasizes Erie County and its 38 municipalities, […]
